The Great Jaak Gatz
by jedimasterathena
Summary: Kai, escaped from a life of captivity, finds a new start in Bolin, but is still in danger. Socialite Jaak Gatz is known for his uproarious parties, but no one knows anything about the mysterious bachelor. Avatar Korra senses trouble in Republic City. Dark secrets are revealed that could forever change the world of bending. Mystery, Romance, Action. Makorra. Irosami. BolinxKai.
1. Chapter 1

**Let me know what you guys think. Seriously. Unleash your criticisms, tell me whether or not you enjoyed it. I can't write better without feedback from my audience! **

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All around him, the party raged on. The band's cheeks were red and the dancers had gone too far and drank too much to stop now. He waived for a waiter carrying a tray of canapes to bring out the next round of champagne. When the waiter returned, he took two glasses, one for the woman in the red dress and one for the man she had come with.

"Enjoy!" he told them with the most sincerity the charming host could muster for two strangers. They thanked him, but Jaak could only see the hazy lights in their eyes.

Across the room, he caught Pyke's sober expression, stark against the party-goers. He excused himself from his guests and approached him, weaving through the hot mass of dancers.

"Sir," said his consigliere. From his voice, Jaak knew something was wrong.

"Why do I feel you're going to dissapoint me?"

"Sir, she's escaped."

"Again?" Jaak's jovial smile did not fade, but beneath it panic began gnawing at his bones. Pyke nodded. "How long ago?"

"A couple of hours." There was a pause as a woman stumbled past them, clutching her broken shoe and sobbing through her makeup. "Should we sweep the city?"

"No," said Jaak. "She's tried that before. She's older now, smarter. This time will be different." He thought to himself for a moment. "Check the docks. She'll try to catch a ship."

Pyke turned to leave, then hesitated, "and if she succeeds?"

"Then ask around. Find out where she's going. Someone would have to notice her." The stuck out in a crowd. It wouldn't be hard to hunt her down. He turned back to Pyke, "but let's hope she's still in the city."

"Yessir," pike spun on a heel and disappeared into the darkness beyond the party.

Jaak rubbed his eyes. Catching his reflection in a window he saw the stress on his face. For a moment more, he listened to the music. Then, with a final scan of the party, he searched for the familiar face he'd been waiting to see. He found nothing. With a sigh, he abandoned the festivities and retired back into his new, if much too extravagant, house.

By morning, the dancers would stumble home and the band would rest. They waited until they were called again to the manor of Jaak Gatz.

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Kai crinkled her nose in disgust as she slunk through the deserted fish market. She pulled the scarf tied around her head closer to her skin. The docks were dead this late at night. The moored fishing boats creaked as the dark water of the bay sloshed them about. Each noise made her jump, she knew she was being followed. Kai quickened her pace, hastening her search for a hiding place.

She turned a corner and ducked behind the abandoned stall of a fishmonger. The odor of rotten fish and salt water nearly suffocated her, but Kai didn't dare move from her temporary sanctuary. Another creak echoed through the alley, but before she could calm herself and reason with her fear, she heard rapid footsteps. Clammy from the fishy air and fear, Kai looked for water. Taking hold of the stagnant sea water from a barrel beside her hiding place, Kai lashed out with a whip. A cry of pain echoed through the street and she took it as her cue to run.

She ran towards a short pier where a couple of sailing boats were tied. With the sea to her back, Kai would not run out of ammunition. Unstoppable, she sprinted, fixing her eyes on her destination, pumping her legs harder to get her there before-

A blast of fire cut across her path. Barely dodging, Kai turned the other way, the heat still on her face. The firebender followed and Kai took a wave of water and washed him out into the bay.

Panting, she stopped and looked around. She knew Gatz never sent his men alone. Somewhere in the shadows another attacker lay hidden. Time was running out however, as Kai heard the splashes of the first attacker fast approaching the docks. She turned to face him when the ground beneath her feet shot up and launched her several yards away. She landed on her side with her breath gone. When air finally did reach her lungs, a gloved hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams her assailant began pulling her back into the alley.

"NO!" she said beneath the leather. Kai would not let them take her back. She relaxed, despite the danger of her situation, and sensed the water around her. It was in the sea air, in the breath of her captor, in his skull. After a moment, she was released, and the man, unconscious. The first fire bender charged her once more. As he drew nearer, she stood her ground and closed her eyes. In moments, both were limp on the ground.

Fueled by an adrenaline-powered heart, Kai ran again back into the city. Her scarf had fallen loose in the skirmish and her blonde hair flew behind her

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**PLLEEEAAASSSEEE LEEEAAVVEEEE A REEEVVVIEEEWWW! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Every review makes my day. So, please, take a second of your time to tell me what I'm doing right and wrong! **

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Korra jerked awake. Her eyes hurt. She blinked several times, the bright green light was still burnt onto the back her eyelids. Looking around her she saw her room at the Air Temple.

It had only been a dream. But it had been far too real.

From the floor beside her bed her polar-bear-dog rumbled.

"It's alright, Naga. It was just a bad dream." _Again._

Korra stood shakily and walked into the hall. She tip-toed past the other rooms, trying not to wake anyone. When she was outside in the cool night air, she allowed herself to relax. If only she could. No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake the nightmare from her brain. She kicked a rock in frustration. She couldn't even remember what it had been about. All she had been left with was the haunting memory of the green light the loomed over the mist far in the water. She looked out over it now. All to be seen were the lights of Republic City, peaceful in their blaze.

Korra didn't understand. The world was safe. The nations were at peace and Amon's equalizer uprising had been defeated. So, why the dream?

Maybe, it was nothing, just a nightmare. Everyone has nightmares.

The Avatar is not everyone. She sighed. Korra's nightmares were far more important than those of a normal person, especially when they were reoccurring. They were a forecast, an omen. Kicking herself for letting too many night pass, she thought of waking Tenzin. Surely, he would offer her guidance. She turned to go back into the temple then thought better of it. With the new baby, no one had gotten much sleep lately. Instead, she turned and walked away from the temple, towards the airbending training grounds. She would let them rest. Counsel could wait until tomorrow. For now, she would meditate.

Crossing the bridge she watched the moonlight in the ripples of the water underneath. Korra stopped on the bridge. She folded her arms and rested them on the railing, looking up at the night sky, at the moon. Yue, she remembered from the histories. Katara's brother, Sokka, had fallen in love with the moon spirit.

She knew it was wrong of her, but Korra yearned for something, anything to happen. Aang had spent his whole life fulfilling his duty as Avatar. He defeated the Fire Nation, restored balance in the world. Korra's destiny could not have simply been to bring Amon to justice. Now that she had made contact with the spirit world and managed airbending, she needed to do more. Granted, she was not the naïve girl she was upon her arrival to Republic City. She understood that, as Avatar, she needed to fully master airbending before embarking on any adventure. Looking again out over the water that surrounded Air Temple Island, Korra knew she should stay here with Tenzin, yet something from deep within her pulled her heart away.

With a heavy sigh, she let her gaze fall from the sky and to her own reflection in the water. It wavered with the waves. With a splash of water bending, she destroyed the image and turned away, fists clenched.

"Korra?" a soft voice called her name.

"Mako!" Korra smiled at the sight of him. "What are you doing up?" He came to stand beside her.

"Naga was scratching at my door. I figured something was wrong. Are you okay?" He rested a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, "Yes," then sighed. "I don't know." Glancing up at him she caught the concern in his furrowed brows. "It's just…" she searched for the words.

"Avatar business?" he asked with a laugh. Korra nodded. "Come on, let's take a walk." Together they strode across the bridge and continued to walk down the path. With springtime came the blossoms and the trees were covered with them. They blew in the night's breeze. The path they walked was blanketed by a pink carpet of the flowers. Korra blew them back into the air with the small airbending she was capable of. They swirled around her and Mako.

"You're getting really good," he told her, plucking a bloom from her hair

"Thanks," she smiled up at him. He returned the gesture, but neither of them was ignorant to the turbulence within her.

"Is this what you're worried about? Airbending?"

"No, not really. There's something…bigger than airbending." Mako lifted an eyebrow, his interest piqued.

"Bigger than airbending?"

Korra stared out across the bay and out into the sea. Mako did the same.

"There's something out there," she whispered. "It's like it's _calling _to me."

"What?" he asked. She felt him tense beside her.

"I don't know!" She turned to face him. "I think I have to find out."

"Leave?" He grabbed her hands as if she would run away from him even though she would not be going anywhere tonight.

Korra wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his neck. "The dreams! They won't stop! This isn't the same as it was with Amon." She pulled away from him, new resolve in her voice, "As Avatar, I have to…" He understood and held her again.

"In the morning, we'll talk to Tenzin." Korra's stomach churned like the waters of the bay, but she let Mako lead her back to the Air Temple.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the part where I badger you for reviews. So, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! It only takes a second!**

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As the first pedestrians of the morning filled the park with their delighted chattering, Kai awoke with an ache in her back. Last night, after she was sure she had evaded Gatz's cronies, she had slipped between two of the large boulders bordering the pond. Hidden from view, she had fallen into a restless sleep.

Kai shook the sleep from her eyes, determined to figure out her next move. First, she needed to disguise her hair. She let it loose and redid the elaborate braids, knowing she was in danger. Her long, blonde tresses were unique, a red flag for Gatz to follow and track her down. She pulled up the hood of the shirt beneath her jacket, but soon she would have to acquire another scarf. If a passerby happened to look too closely, she would be discovered.

The muscles in her legs and back protested as she stood and slipped from between her hiding place in the rocks. She was sore, but finally free. As she melded into the urban crowd, she breathed lighter, feeling confident. _Grlrlrlrlr_. Her stomach rumbled and she had her next objective: food. Then she remembered she had no money. Disheartened, she stopped and sat on a bench, realizing the holes in her plans. Her original idea had been to stowaway on a ship headed, well, anywhere, but she had no idea where she would go and no resources to get her there. Perhaps, escape had been foolish. None of her previous attempts had been successful. She recalled the last time she had been dragged back to Gatz.

"What were you going to do?" He had asked her. "What did you think you could accomplish? The city has no pity for a helpless girl." He'd laughed at her. Kai refused to consider herself helpless.

Now, though, hungry and alone on unfamiliar streets, the thought of going back entered her mind. NO! She chastised herself for thinking so. Never again would she be a prisoner. Gatz had taken too much for her to go back to him. Mindlessly, her hand drifted to the scar on the back of her head. It was the remnant of an injury that had fractured her skull the day she had been captured. The bone had healed, but her memory never did return. Her name was Kai, that much she remembered; but, she had no memory of a past, a family, a home. Sometimes, in her new life, flashes of her old life seeped through her consciousness. Simple things like the water in a glass brought back memories. _The sound of waves crashing against sand...the sun against her face...the laughter of a young girl. _No matter how many pieces she collected, they were never enough to tell her who she was.

She did know she was a waterbender. Her light, freckled skin and blonde hair, however, proved that she did not belong to the Water Tribes. So, where did she come from. Who was she. Kai hoped to find out, but for now, she and the world had reached and impasse.

A small weight landed on her lap, jerking her from her thoughts. She looked down at the chattering ball of red fur. It sniffed her hand and looked up at her.

"Well, hello." She told it. The animal seemed friendly so she scratched it behind the ear.

"PABU!" The animal scampered up her arm and sat on her shoulder who Kai assumed was the fire ferret's owner barreled towards them. Immediately Kai was alert, making sure her hair was well tucked.

"Pabu!" He panted, hands on his knees, when he reached the bench where Kai sat. "Do you know how worried I was? You can't just swipe dumplings off of carts like that and not expect to be chased!" He continued to scold the creature with wild arm motions, seemingly unaware of Kai's presence.

"And you," he said turning to Kai with a sigh, she looked up at him. "thank you for-for," His eyes met hers and his stance suddenly relaxed. He swept a hand through his wavy hair and raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for...uh...rescuing him." He smiled. Kai didn't know how to proceed.

"You're welcome, but he actually came to me." she finally said, prying the ferret off of her and handing it over.

"Well, you know fire ferrets," he leaned a forearm against a tree as Pabu climbed atop his head, "here, there, everywhere." Apparently, he had forgotten his earlier reprimanding. "So," he rubbed his chin as if thinking. "Obviously, my little friend here can't possibly hungry after the STOLEN dumplings," he shot a glare to the fire ferret, but ended up looking as if he were trying to see his own forehead. "But, it is such a beautiful morning in our beautiful city, and each of us is in luck to find themselves with beautiful company..." Kai regarded this truly _strange_ stranger, unsure is he was complimenting her. "How about breakfast?" he asked, "My treat!" The fire ferret, Pabu, perked from his lookout on his master's head. He seemed just as eager as his perch to take her to breakfast. Kai thought for a moment of the trouble she could get herself into. Breakfast with him, though seemingly harmless, could jeopardize her cover. _Grlrlrlrl. _Oh, right, she thought, food.

"I don't even know your name," she told him.

"Well, that's easy enough to fix. My name's Bolin."

She recognized that name from the newspapers. Though it was forbidden, she often snuck papers into her room, hiding them under her mattress until she was alone. She had gone out of her way to acquire them as the Equalists grew more powerful. The whole situation had made Gatz nervous and she had needed to know why. Bolin, had been in many of them as part of Team Avatar. Perhaps, she wondered, Bolin could take her to see Avatar Korra. Perhaps, the Avatar could help her.

"And you?" Bolin asked her.

"Kai," she told him, feeling secure. "My name is Kai."

"Pleasure to meet you Kai." He stuck out a hand and she shook it. Before she could let go, however, his grip tightened and he pulled her to her feet. Surprised, she stumbled forward, falling to his chest. Kai felt her face grow hot.

"Oh, sorry," He straightened her, "Guess I don't always know my own strength." Kai chuckled, appreciating Bolin's levity. "Anyway, to breakfast!"

Together, they walked through the park. Kai was still apprehensive about being in the open, but Gatz would expect her to be alone. Though Bolin didn't know it, he was her protection. She tried to relax.

"Are you cold?"

"What?"

"You look chilly. I mean, like hunkered and down and all." Kai remembered her hood to hide her hair.

"My, uh, ears get cold." She said, hoping he would buy the excuse.

"Here," he unraveled a red scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around hers. With his proximity, she stopped breathing. "It's my brother's. He'll kill me when he find out I took it."

"Oh," Kai began to return the scarf to him.

"No, it's okay for you to borrow it. I'm saved by the fact that I only took it to have the unraveling bits mended." Bolin pointed to a section at the end where the threads had been redone.

"Thanks." As Bolin continued to talk about Pabu's adventures, Kai managed to finagle the scarf around her braids almost like a shawl and was able to drop her hood.

"It looks good that way," he told her. Kai felt her face blush again, but, thankfully, they reached the cafe where Bolin was leading them. He held the door open and led her to a booth in the back corner. She sat down across from him.

Kai had never known home, but she was sure this cafe, with a warm atmosphere and wafting scent of breakfast was closer than anything she could remember. She smiled at Bolin and let her hair fall free.

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**HA! I thought after the last two, this chapter needed to be a bit lighter, so I fluffed it up a bit. *wink wink* What I have got planned for Kai and Team Avatar will blow your minds!**

**So, LEAVE A REVIEW. (You do realize I will never stop pestering you.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**UGH! WHY WAS THIS CHAPTER SO HARD TO GET OUT! The first bit with Korra was cake, but I just can't get into her voice again as easily. I blame you, Kai. OC's mess with your brain.**

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"Tenzin," Korra called to the airbending master as they ended her lessons for the day. She ran to catch up to him. "Tenzin, I need to speak with you." Her voice fell to a whisper so that the children could not hear. After waking unsettled from her nightmare last night, Korra was desperate to talk with her mentor. The feeling of ease had not faded with the dream. Instead it lingered, stronger and ever present.

"Korra?" He asked. "What is it?"

She found the words difficult as she watched Ikki skip behind her sister. No one else in the world seemed to share her apprehensions. This worried her. Something in Republic wanted in her attention. Trouble was brewing.

"Something's wrong," she told Tenzin.

His face morphed into an expression of pure horror. "What did Meelo eat?"

"Actually this isn't about Meelo." He sighed in relief then caught it as he realized the severity of the situation.

"This is about you."

Korra nodded and told him about her premonitions.

"This is indeed worrisome." Tenzin scratched his beard. "I will bring it before the Council tomorrow and alert Lin." Korra hung her head, afraid of what lay ahead. The master rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Korra. We'll figure this out."

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Kai popped another piece of fruit into her mouth, unsure if it would even fit in her already full stomach. She pushed her plate away.

"No more," she sighed.

"Breakfast: one," Bolin announced into his spoon, "Kai: zero." He shook his head in mock disappointment.

"At least Pabu won his battle." She poked the fire ferret's distended furry belly where he lounged in her lap. "I've never seen such a small animal eat so much."

They laughed. Kai enjoyed how easy it was to be with Bolin. Around him, she could forget that she was currently homeless and on the run from Gatz's men. This breakfast, it seemed, was the first step in rebuilding her life. It was the first of a new set of memories.

Bolin paid the bill and they pulled themselves out of the booth. Kai scooped the dozing Pabu into her arms. They walked in companionable silence, each too stuffed and too content to speak. Suddenly, Bolin tensed beside her.

"Oh, no."

Automatically, she shifted her feet into a bending stance. A wild squeal erupted as a quintet of girls went form a walk to a quick trot towards them. "What is it?"

"Fangirls," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the opposite direction. Kai let Bolin pull her through the city, she ran behind him following his occasional instructions of "quick", "this way", and "over here." Eventually, they managed to shake the girls. Kai watched Bolin who stood next to her in the alley with his back tight against the side of a hat shop. He peered around the corner.

"Coast is clear." He turned back to her, grinning. Kai laughed, really laughed. She laughed in the way that made her gut hurt and her breath disappear. The sound surprised her. When was the last time she had laughed like that? Had she ever? It seemed oddly familiar. Maybe from her old life. Either way, Bolin's green eyes smiled down at her and she smiled up at him.

Then the clock chimed from Main Street and Bolin's face scrunched up."Agh! I'm late to practice!"

"Practice?"

"The-ergh-bending," his word were rushed and he winced. He shook his head as if to clear it. "I have to go, but I want to see you again." Kai wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly. He wanted to see her again. "Come to the probending match," he pleaded as he sprinted away, "Tomorrow night! Tell them Pabu has your tickets!" And he was gone, a green-black speck in the distance.

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Jaak Gatz was having brunch alone at his new dining table that sat twelve, when Pyke entered the room.

"What do you have for me?" He addressed his man without diverting his attention fro his newspaper.

"A couple of teenagers saw a blonde girl leave a cafe a few blocks from the park with a young earthbender named Bolin. We cased the place, but found nothing that would lead us to the girl. Should I send out more men?"

Jaak almost chuckled as he sipped his tea. The girl was much more clever than he had thought. Gone not even twenty-four hours, and already she was establishing connections. Connections to the Avatar no less. Now that he had discovered her ploy, Jaak could proceed with his. There was no need to continue his chase.

He spoke casually, "When do the Fire Ferrets have their next match?" He knew Pyke was an avid fan of probending.

"Tomorrow, sir. But shouldn't we be focused on bringing back the girl?"

"Ah, there's nothing wrong with a little sport." Jaak folded the paper and set it on the table. It was open to a headline that read:UNDERDOGS ARE AT IT AGAIN! Beneath the large font was a photograph of the Fire Ferret team captain, the earthbender, Bolin.

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_**GASP!**_** Haha. Oh, boy, too hype. LEAVE A REVIEW! I'd really appreciate some feedback about the whole KaixBolin thing. Are their characters compatible? Does Kai make sense to you all? Let me know!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**If you ever need names for Water Tribe people, just look at a map of Alaska. I mean, you can't get any better. It's a gold mine!** **LEAVE A REVIEW!**

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Kai had survived another day and night on the streets of Republic City, befriending the destitute and drifting. People like herself, she thought. One woman, Denali, who took it upon herself to feed and act as a makeshift mother for many of the urban orphans had put her up for the night. Denali had even given her a new scarf. New as in, it had not been Kai's. The scarf's rose-colored silk showed the years it had against it. Still, it was beautiful and Kai appreciated the gesture. In return, Kai had given her the only payment she could offer. She had told the woman her story. Of course, she had left out everything relating to her escape, making a new identity as the daughter of a fisherman who left home for adventure in the city. She started her tale with her meeting Bolin in the park.

Nearing fifty, Denali remembered taking care of Bolin and his older brother, Mako, when they were kids. Kai had never known Bolin had grown up on the street. She was amazed by how unaffected he was. Maybe, like her, all of Bolin's scars ran too deep for most to see. She saw him in a new light.

And his name was up in lights. She stood, awestruck, in the promenade outside of the bending arena. Kai closed her eyes, breathing in the atmosphere. Even with her lids shut, the searchlights burnt gold onto her vision.

As she approached the gate, a man held his hand out. "Ticket, please."

Kai didn't have a ticket.

But what had Bolin told her to say. "Uh-" this better work, "Pabu has my ticket." She smiled innocently to the teller.

His face lit up in surprise. He let her through with a wink. "Enjoy the match."

It had worked.

Inside the arena, Kai could hear the echoing roar of the crowd as the announcer stirred them up for the match. She'd never felt such excitement. Every muscle in her body twitched with thrilling energy. She loved the sensation.

Eager, she searched for the locker room. Each time she approached a restricted checkpoint, she simply made up some excuse about Bolin's Fire Ferret and she was let through. After a few quick minutes of searching, Kai heard Bolin's voice from an open door at the end of the hall. She ducked inside the locker room, leaning against the door frame as Bolin delivered a motivational speech to his team.

"Now, the Tigerdillos may have beaten us every time they've played us this season, but we can't get down now! Weve been kept down for too long and now, we want our time in the spotlight! This is our chance!" Kai smiled as he held a gauntleted fist in the air. "We're the underdogs! The people love us!" His face lit up as he caught sight of her.

"You came!" he approached her, she pulled the scarf off of her blonde hair.

"Of course I came." Pabu flung himself onto her shoulder. "Hello again, Pabu. Thanks for getting me in." She spoke to the Fire Ferret, but her eyes met Bolin's.

"Hey, Bolin!" a voice called from the hallway.

"I should go," Kai excused herself. "I guess I'll see you after." She put Pabu on the bench and headed for the door, almost colliding with someone who appeared to be a taller, more slender, form of Bolin. He had the amber eyes of a firebender and his features were more angular yet they were still familiar. A familiar red scarf was slung around his neck. It was Mako, Bolin's brother. "Whoops," she made brief eye contact before slipping past him.

In the hallway, she took a moment to think. If Mako was here, perhaps the Avatar was as well. Now was her chance to talk with her. Her heart skipped a beat. She was so close to leaving Gatz and his tortures behind.

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"Hey, Bolin!" Mako turned the corner into the Fire Ferret locker room, nearly bowling over a girl on her way out. Another fangirl? He shook his head

"Whoops," As she slid past, the girl looked up at him with a crystal blue gaze. The girl's hair, done up in elaborate braids, was the lightest he had ever seen.

"Bolin," Mako continued past her, "I wanted to make sure you...BOLIN!" Bolin's attention was still held by the door where the girl had left. He snapped his fingers. "Is that why you brought my scarf back smelling so nice?" He jerked a thumb towards the door. "Bro, keep your head in the game."

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**Guess what time it is? Time for YOU to leave a REVIEW! Yes? ****How are you liking it so far? Is there anything I need to work on? Is there anything you want to see? I always listen to my readers. I am, sadly, your writing slave. Haha. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry the last few chapters have been so fluffy. I promise, stuff gets intense now. So, for your reading pleasure I give you Chapter 6...**

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"And it's a KNOCK OUT by Fire Ferret captain, Bolin!"

Kai couldn't keep from rising to her feet and thrusting her arms in the air. She had never seen a probending match before. Back with Gatz, she'd sparred with his men. He had trained her to be swift, efficient, deadly. Each move she made was poignant and artfully executed, aimed at incapacitating an opponent as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Probending, however, was ferocious, animal. It was a sport born from the underground, almost a mode of survival. When an earth disk hit the Firedillo waterbender, he had made a guttural sound. And when he had quickly lashed back with a whip of water, the crowd had gasped with Bolin as he prepared for impact. It was exhilarating.

But with the Fire Ferrets ahead and time running out, Kai had business to attend to. She slipped from her seat and into the hall. She'd learned from a fan beside her that with the arena's rebuild, the probenders had ensured the Avatar had her own private box. She had saved the sport, the man had said, she had saved them, saved their bending. Kai searched for this box.

Climbing the stairs to the higher levels, Kai easily found the box. With a deep breath, she prepared a speech in her head. Her heart throbbed in her chest. This was it. She stepped forward.

"Ava-" a familiar voice stopped her pounding heart dead. She retreated back a few steps, gluing herself to the wall outside the door. Risking it all, she turned to peer around the corner and into the booth.

On one side of the the Avatar sat a man in the robes of an airbender, Councilman Tenzin. On her other side was a straight-backed man with familiar low-set almost scowling brows and a hard jaw. Jaak Gatz. Kai listened to their conversation.

"Allow me to thank you, Avatar Korra. I can never offer you enough. You restored by bending after Amon's uprising. I am forever indebted to you."

Kai knew it was all a lie. Gatz, at the time of the rebellion, had kept a close eye on her because Amon threatened not only his own bending, but that of Kai. He had never lost his would not remember this though. It was a trick Gatz had taught her to turn people's own psychologies against them. In the weeks after Amon's defeat, the Avatar had given the power to bend back to a hundred benders. She could not tell them apart. Gatz was feeding her a memory, a false one, a lie.

He was on to her.

It explained everything: why none of his cronies had come after her again, why she was able to still walk free. Gatz knew Kai would run to the Avatar. To approach Avatar Korra now would be to fall into his trap.

So, she ran.

The sound of the buzzer and the cheering of fans was droned out by her own breathing as Kai raced out of the arena to the promenade outside. In panic, she paced around the fountain. Her mind screamed at her to keep running, to abandon Bolin, go back to the docks and catch a ship sailing away from Republic City before Gatz could catch up to her.

Tears welled in her eyes as her mind raced in desperation for a new plan. No matter how she tried to process her thoughts, though, only one instance filled her mind's eye. It was a memory, not from her life before the injury, but from captivity.

_There was a young boy before her. He was barely older than her. Ten. Eleven at the oldest. He shivered as she stared into his eyes. Kai could sense his fear, a petrifying terror, as if it were her own. _

_"Good," the man beside her said with a nod, "Your empathetic skills are near perfect. I think it's time to try again."_

_ Kai didn't want to. The last time he had forced her to bend it had been on a mouse. The intention had been to weave the mouse through a maze, but she had failed. Rather than leading the mouse, she had accidentally stopped its heart. _

_Now, he wanted her to try again, this time, on the boy in front of her. _

_"Please," she begged. Only half of the tears were hers, the rest were the boy's. Before she could bend his mind, she had needed to tap into his brain chemistry. All of his emotions, dreams, memories flooded through her own mind. The boy was afraid of her. He thought she would kill him. "Please. I can't. Don't make me."_

_"You have a rare gift." He always told her this. She knew from her studies of benders with special capabilities. There were earthbenders who could mold metal, firebenders who could cast electricity from the air. She knew there were waterbenders who wielded the blood of others as a weapon from within. Kai was a waterbender, but she could not bloodbend. No, she possessed a much more sinister talent. _

_"Kai!" The man commanded her. "Bend his mind. __NOW!" One of the guards stepped forward, a firebender, and aimed his fist at the boy's head._

___Trapped and determined to saved his life, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Like she had been taught, she took hold of the water that made up the plasm of the nerve cells in his brain. With several synchronized motions, the boy's mind was at her disposal. The boy fell unconscious. Two people cannot control one person's thoughts. He immediately began to dream and Kai saw all of them through her own eyes._

___"Now. Erase his memory." And Kai did as she was told. _

___Silence fell over the room. Kai did not breathe until she could hear the boy's heart strong and in-time with her own pulse. She let him go. _

"_Very good, Kai." Kai opened her eyes, the boy was still unconscious, slumped in his chair, but he was alive. __The man squeezed her shoulder, signaling with his other hand to two guards to pick the boy up. "Take Pyke to his room." Kai watched them cart his limp form away. Pyke had not been the boy's name, but when he awoke, it would be. She cried her own tears._

_ She hated bending._

* * *

_**What do you think of "mindbending"? PLEASE TELL ME IF IT'S A CRAZY IDEA! I hope this flashback answered some of your questions about Jaak Gatz and Kai. And Pyke?! Jaak's right-hand-thug-man! Bet you didn't see that coming!**  
_


	7. Chapter 7

**Irosami fans, I haven't forgotten about you. Does Bolin seem like a flat character to anyone?**

* * *

**"The Fighter" by Gym Class Heroes is like Bolin's theme song. DEFINATELY. or maybe "Hall of Fame" by The Script (expect a later fanfic about it ;D )  
**

* * *

The crowds had all gone home by the time Kai stood from the wall of the fountain. She held Denali's scarf in her hands. There was no reason to bother with it anymore. Gatz knew where she was. Again, he had outsmarted her. Kai wrapped the scarf around her neck. What was she going to do? In her heart, she felt she could beat Gatz and somehow gain her freedom, but she had to find something Gatz did not yet have. There had to be some bases he hadn't covered. In her mind, she searched for some way she could gain the advantage...

"Kai!" a voice called her name, she spun to see a tall earthbender sprinting towards her.

"Bolin! Bolin..."

As he grew nearer, Bolin did not slow. Instead he rushed her. Kai felt strong arms around her waist and her feet loose contact with the ground. He lifted her into the air.

"We did it!" Holding her aloft, he twirled. Her world spinning, Kai wrapped her arms around his neck and the promenade air sparkled with their laughter.

When he stopped spinning, Bolin still held her. His eyes allowed her to cast aside her fears and, for a moment, just be. "Hi," he breathed, beaming up at her.

"Hi," said Kai back. The lights from the fountain danced across the planes of his face. They were frozen, neither wanting to break the moment.

Then he set her gently back on her feet.

"Sorry," he apologized, cheeks red. "Sometimes, I just-"

"Forget your own strength?" She quoted him from the day in the park.

"Yeah," They walked across the promenade toward the street. "I still can't believe we won!"

"Why is it so hard to believe. I thought the Fire Ferrets made it to the championship last year?"

"We did." He sighed, "but that was when Mako was captain and we had Korra on our team." He stared across the street to where Mako, hand-in-hand with Avatar Korra, was stepping into a cab. Kai followed his gaze and saw Mako wave to Bolin, hurrying him along. The earthbender's eyes fell to his feet.

Kai hooked her arm around his elbow. "You are amazing." The rush of the match flooded her voice. "The way the crowd cheers for you!" She nudged him, but he still seemed despondent. Mako yelled his name. Kai knew the bending fans cheered for Bolin, but the city cheered for Mako.

"Hey," she whispered. "Until the referee rings the bell, you turn their heads, you give them hell. When the crowd goes home, you'll hear them say, 'there goes a fighter.'" Bolin was a fighter

His lips finally turned up into half of a smile. It was a silent kind of thank you.

"We were going out for something to eat. Do you want to come along?" He motioned towards his friends waiting for him in the cab. Kai realized that there was one face from the newspapers she did not see among them. With new strength, she knew what she had to do to beat Gatz.

"I actually have some things to take care of."

"Can I walk you anywhere?"

"No,"

* * *

Bolin stepped into the cab.

"Way to crush it tonight," said Korra as she rested her head against Mako. Bolin didn't answer. Through the window, he watched Kai walk away. Her words echoed in his mind. _There goes a fighter_.

* * *

Kai only had to ask a few pedestrians she encountered to get the directions she needed. And, now, she stood before the large door of the mansion of the one person Gatz had overlooked.

She rang the bell. A butler answered the door.

"I'm sorry," he said, cordial but annoyed, "Ms. Sato isn't taking any calls this evening."

"Please, you don't understand."

"She is not-"

Kai hadn't time for formalities. She charged past him.

"I need to speak with Asami Sato NOW!"

"What is going on?" The Sato heiress appeared at the top of the stairs, tying the sash of an expensive burgundy dressing gown. "Who is it?"

"I'm not sure," said the butler as he scowled at Kai.

Sato descended the stairs, "I was not supposed to meeting anyone tonight." Her brows raised in suspicion.

"I'm sorry," apologized Kai, "but I must speak with you."_  
_

"Asami, what's going on?" Down the stairs, trotted a young man. He wore khaki pants and tall boots, but his fingers were working on the buttons of his red shirt. Kai somehow recognized his angular features and she wondered where she had seen him before. When he reached the congregation by the door, he reached a hand for Asami, "I heard-" Suddenly, he noticed Kai's presence, cleared his throat, and stepped away. His lips formed a tight line.

"Who are you?" demanded Asami.

"My name is Kai." She told them. "I'm a friend of Bolin's. I need your help."

* * *

**OOOOHHHHHH looks like Asami and Iroh were a little "indisposed" haha**

**LEAVE A REVIEW, PLEASSSSEEE!**


	8. Chapter 8

Kei followed Asami down the corridors of the Sato mansion. The young man followed behind them. She could feel his eyes on her back. He didn't trust her. For a moment, Kai feared he sensed the dark power she possessed.

They turned into a room and Asami took a seat in an armchair by a large fireplace. She motioned for Kai to take the opposite spot.

"This is a very nice room," Kai said trying to think of anything to break the ice.

"It had used to be my father's," said Asami, "I have since redecorated and found better use for it."

Kai could feel the bitterness behind her words and when the butler entered the room with a tray of tea, Asami waved him away.

"Kai," she said, her voice surprisingly friendly. "This is United Forces General Iroh." She motioned to the young man who stood at her side with his hands clasped behind his back. Kai knew she had recognized him. Of course it had been difficult given his currently disheveled appearance. "He is an ally of the Avatar. I trust him. You can too. Now, tell me what you know."

Kai bit her lip. She felt like shrinking into the fabric of the chair. The heiress and the General bore their gazes into her, unsuspecting of what it really meant for Kai to tell the truth. The secret of her mindbending had been her own. She bore the burden of her abilities in silence. Kai knew, however, that in order to move forward with her life, she must accept that she could not change her story and must tell it to Iroh and Asami. Gatz would stop at nothing to have Kai back in his grasp. For the sake of the Avatar, for the sake of Bolin, they needed to know.

"Have you," began Kai, "heard the name Jaak Gatz?"

Asami nodded. "Yes. I've been to one of his...soirees." Kai knew Asami was glazing over the extent of Gat'z uproarious parties. From the corner of her eye, she caught the General raise a brow at Asami. He too apparently knew of Gatz's reputation. "Also," she added hastily, "he had the engineers custom design three Satomobiles."

"Well, he's not the man he pretends to be."

* * *

"Kai!"

She did not respond when her name was called. Her heart was almost too heavy to carry up the steps to the Air Temple.

"Kai!" It came again. Bolin trotted up beside her. She could not look at him. Her simply being with him put him in danger. He had fought for Republic City. He had payed his dues. This was not his fight; but, as his hand fell next to hers, lightly brushing and bumping against her fingers, she couldn't bring herself to back away from him. She let his fingers slip into the spaces between hers.

"Kai?" Bolin asked.

She still did not look at him. She focused on Jinora who was reading under the shade of a tree. Kai had come to Air Temple Island to say goodbye.

Bolin took her by the wrists and pulled her over to a bench. He turned her chin so that she looked at him. The softness in his eyes melted her. Kai forced herself to look away.

"Are you okay?" She shook her head, not really a yes or a no. "Do you, do you want to talk?" He pushed a lock of blonde hair from her face. She had only put in one braid that draped from ear to ear. The rest of the waving tresses flowed down her back, lifting slightly in the breeze.

Tomorrow night, as was the plan she had devised with Asami and Iroh, she would infiltrate Gatz's party. At all costs, she would get the crook alone. For the last time, she would use her mindbending to erase his memory of her, of what she was capable of, and end his deranged quest. _At all costs_, she reminded herself. Gatz sat at the head of one of the largest undercity crime circles. She understood the risk. And she understood she was not ready to leave Bolin.

She didn't know what they, but she had so looked forward to finding out. The lightness she experienced when she was with him illuminated a whole new path for her. Kai faced him, taking one of his large hands in her much smaller ones. They were calloused and tough. Her thumb traced a scar that ran across a few of his knuckles. She wondered how he had gotten it. After long avoiding it, she glanced up. His brows were furrowed in concern.

The words would not come.

"Listen," he said, "I have an idea. I don't know if you're into this kind of thing, but we were all invited to a party tomorrow night." _Oh, no!_ Gatz had invited Korra and her friends to his extravaganza. Kai tried to remember what he had told Korra at the bending match. He was not only building his reputation as a friend of the Avatar, he was using Korra, more specifically, Bolin as bait. And Kai had taken the hook. She cursed herself.

"You could be my plus one," offered Bolin, a blush rising on his cheeks.

Kai flung her arms around him.

"I will go with you," she said softly into his ear. She held him tightly, not wanting him to see the tear that rolled down her cheek. She wanted to keep him safe. Though the earthbender could handle himself in a bending match, even a street fight, he had no experience with the sinister skill that existed within her. And, selfishly, she wanted one dance with Bolin before she was forced to confront the Great Jaak Gatz.

* * *

**Me again to bother you! Is BolinxKai an okay thing? Can you feel it? I'm worried Bolin is not fleshed out in the relationship. Please let me now. This is why I am always asking for reviews. I GO CRAZY not knowing what my readers think. **

**I PROMISE MORE IROSAMI AND MAKORRA NEXT CHAPTER! (serious Irosami *wink wink*)**


	9. Chapter 9

**As we near the climax of our story, a little Irosami...**

* * *

"Well," said Iroh and his fingers worked at his neck tie, "this was not how I imagined spending the evening." From the closet, Asami laughed. Iroh caught his own lips turning up at the corners. "I thought we would be able to spend one night alone."

"Think of it this way," she emerged in an emerald green, sequined sheath dress. Iroh let his eyes trace her curves before turning away with hot cheeks. She looked beautiful, stunning; yet, he wished the dress were red. He kept his concentration on making progress with his tie. They had done what they could to keep their relationship a secret. It was better that way, safer.

She approached him. "This way, we can spend a bit more time together before you have to go back." She shooed his hands away and did the tie herself. He could smell her perfume. "The safety of the Avatar certainly overrides any duties you have with the Forces." He took her hands in his his.

"I really shouldn't be away this long." He brought one of her hands to his lips. He had been scheduled to sail back to the Fire Nation tomorrow, but Korra was in danger. And returning would mean leaving Republic City behind until duty brought him back, however long that was.

"Even a general gets leave,"

"What I would do without it..." He bent down and kissed her. His arms slid around her waist and she rose to the tips of her toes to meet him. They may be dressed for a party, but they were going to war.

* * *

Kai stepped out of the luxurious bubble bath and slipped into the silk robe Asami had provided for her. She, Asami, and Iroh would arrive at Gatz's party in disguise. Meaning, they would arrive in style.

The heiress had insisted that Kai let her take care of the necessary arrangements. It was all so gracious of her. Kai had spent the night in the softest bed she had ever slept in and since then had been treated as an esteemed guest in the Sato household. There had been pastries for breakfast, the most wonderful perfumed bubble bath. She couldn't resist raising her arm to her nose. Her skin, softer than ever, smelled of roses.

Smiling, she crossed the room to the bureau and looked at herself in the ornate mirror. Blonde hair. Blue-green eyes. Pink lips.

She began to braid her damp hair. For the party tonight, she put extra care into the design. The length of her hair was pulled across the nape of her neck and smaller more intricate pieces were pulled in making the design more elegant. Satisfied with her results. She practically skipped to the armoir.

Flinging open the doors, she found the dress where the maid had left it, still in its bag. She took it out and held the hanger to her heart, letting the fabric drape over her body. Kai was lucky she and Asami were the same size, there would not have been time to buy her a dress. Excited, she threw of her robe and stepped into the dress.

When she saw herself in the mirror, she gasped. The light blue silk hugged her body down to just past her hips where it continued, draping freely, to the floor. Up the side and across the front, tiny rhinestones glittered in the light of the bedroom.

A knock came from the door.

"Come in,"

"I'm glad it fits." It was Asami.

"Thank you," said Kai, "for everything."

"It's no problem at all." Kai smiled and went back to marveling at her own reflection. "Do you want me to do your makeup?"

"What?" Kai had never worn makeup. She'd never seen the point, but Asami sat her down and pulled out a small handbag filled with tubes and various compacts.

As Asami applied the final powder to her cheeks, Kai wondered if this is how it felt to have a sister. She wondered if she had a sister. Then, she was reminded of why she was getting dressed up in the first place. Tonight was the end. She would face Gatz, she would take back her life. He may have taken most of it with her memories, but she could make her own memories, new ones.

"There," Asami began putting her cosmetics back into the bag and Kai looked at her reflection again. This time, everything about her seemed to shine. Her lips were glossy, her cheeks softly blushed, and her eyes were framed by thick lashes. All of it looked astonishingly natural. Kai couldn't believe she had ever been this beautiful.

"It's time to go. We have to meet the others."

* * *

Jaak Gatz set the bottle of cologne back on the counter. He had used the same scent for over a decade. It was one of the few things he hadn't changed. He opened a small leather box and retrieved his most expensive watch. As he fastened it around his wrist, he looked down at the photograph that sat at the bottom of the small box. He picked it up.

It was a picture of a young woman. She leaned against the railing of once of the city's ferries as she held onto her hat against the wind. She smiled at the picture-taker. It had been him. Jaak had met Lan while on shore leave during his brief service in the United Forces. She had come from a rich family and he had had no money. As he studied her face in the photograph, he remembered the way the smile had collapsed on itself when he had asked her to run away with him.

He sighed and closed the box, but his memories of Lan continued to find their way into his mind.

When his time had come to get back on a ship, he went. He had written to her and, for a while, she wrote him right back. Then, the letters stopped coming. A year after he had last seen her, the terms of his enlistment expired. Immediately, he had returned to the City, but Lan had left for finishing school.

As Gatz slipped on his suit jacket and walked down to the veranda where the band was warming up, he continued to reminisce.

Jaak had decided, that when Lan returned, there would be nothing to stop him from marrying her. He had needed money. And the money came. If anyone other than his associates knew, they would call it dirty money, money made in the sewers and the back alleys bootlegging and running crime cartels. They were right. Of course, Jaak knew that in the end, even dirty money got a man what he wanted. It got him his house, his cars, his extravagant parties, but it hadn't gotten him Lan.

The parties were for her. They were a sign to draw her to him. So, he threw them under the name Jaak-not Jaikko, the timid Water Tribe boy she had met that day on the ferry-and he waited for her.

She did come. He remembered seeing her again after all the years. He remembered the ache in his heart when she introduced her fiancee. All of his efforts had been for naught. Until he discovered Kai.

The young girl had the power to bend minds, to sway them as she wanted, as he wanted.

So, he continued to throw the parties, and wait again for Lan to show, but now, Kai was gone.

"Mr. Gatz," a waiter called his name.

"Yes?"

"The extra staff for this evening have arrived. They are waiting for you in the cellar."

"Ah," Jaak clapped his hands together, "perfect." He headed into the wine cellar.

The _extra staff_ of course were not waiters. They were the small troop of street fighters and vagabonds who had accumulated debt over the years. They paid slowly, over time and in loyalty.

"Everything is ready," Pyke stepped forward. He would be out with the party-goers tonight rather than in his usual place among the shadows. He was dressed in a fine, tailored suit and his hair had been combed back. He was young, just nineteen, and his frame could do nothing but hint at his fitness. With his handsome features, Jaak knew his right hand man would gather the attention of the female guests. As always, however, he would turn down their requests to dance. Pyke never danced.

"Alright," Jaak clapped him on the back. "Keep your eyes open. Look for the earthbender. She will be with him."

* * *

**There will be some interesting developments with young Pyke later as well as Lan, so stay tuned! Alright so maybe I got a bit of the plot from F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I mean who can blame me? Jay Gatsby (Jaak Gatz) is probably THE BEST literary character of all time. I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter. LEAVE A REVIEW! also check out my other Korra fic "The Fighter". **


	10. Chapter 10

**UGH Sorry this has taken me so long to get up. I promised Makorra...**

* * *

"Korra," Mako tapped his knuckles lightly against her door. "Korra, it's me." He heard footsteps approach the door. She let him in, but immediately turned back into the room.

"Korra," he gasped when he saw her. She was gorgeous. Her hair had been released from it's usual bands and put into a loose up do. The dress she wore was deep, dark blue and most of the back was cut out. He came to stand behind her, running his fingers down the exposed skin. She sighed, not the response he was expecting. He remembered the previous night's exchange...

* * *

_"Mako," a whisper managed to pull him away from the dream world. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and tried to figure out who was calling his name. "Mako." The voice came again. He managed to focus as his eyes adjusted to the dark. It was Korra. She was kneeling at the foot of his bed. Her hair was loose and waved down her back. In her sleep clothes, perched like she was, with her hair falling into her face, the Avatar seemed so vulnerable. She tried to explain, in whispers so as to not wake Bolin who slept across the room, why she was in his room in the middle of the night, but he could only hear how her voice shook._

_Mako held his arms open and she crawled to his embrace. _

_"Tell me," he said. And she did. At first it was the same reoccurring dream, the dream of the green light in the distance. Soon, however, Mako could tell the nightmares were getting worse, more vivid. The intricacies of the dream multiplied to include a symphony of lights and sounds, of laughter turned to screams. _

_"Bolin was there this time," The night became heavy around them. Bolin's snoring from the other bed ruptured their quiet. _

_Mako stiffened at the mention of his brother. Korra did not go on, so he knew that what become oh his brother was either uncertain, or very painful. He hoped for uncertainty. _

_"Shhh," he stroked her hair and rocked her slightly, hating what these premonitions did to her. "Tenzin and Lin are on top of it."_

_"No," she said, pulling away from him slightly to look him in the eye. "They're missing something. I've tried meditating. I've gone into the city to search. It's all a dead end. Something is calling for me." she paused, "something is coming."_

_Mako continued to whisper soothing nothings, but she would not relax._

_"I'm the Avatar," at last, she no longer trembled with the after effects of her nightmare. She spoke strongly, but softly. "It is my duty to protect the city." A heavy sigh. "But how do I fight an enemy I cannot find?" He could feel the ice of her frustration._

_For a long time, Korra and Mako whispered in the darkness of his bedroom. Eventually, at sunrise, she had fallen asleep. Mako, a firebender, could not drift off with her as the sun rose over the bay. So, he watched over her. Thankfully, the dreams did not return..._

* * *

Yet, Korra was still troubled.

"It's here," was all she managed. Her words echoed in his mind. _Something is coming...an enemy I cannot find._

"Tonight?" he breathed. "I'll keep an eye on Bolin." He kissed her lightly. "I promise. We'll get through this." He felt her squeeze his hand in reassurance. She was ready. Whatever it was. They would tackle it.

"Hey, Mako," Korra called to him as we was about to leave. He turned to see her roguish smile before leaving to search fro his brother.

Mako found Bolin in their bathroom. In his undershirt, he combed his hair, still not ready. The older brother shook his head.

Ikki sat on the counter, chattering on. "Who is she, Bolin? Huh? Who is she? Is she pretty? Does she have long hair? Does she have freckles? Is she an earthbender too?"

"Of course she's pretty! Yes. Yes. No."

"Is she smart?" Jinora piped from the corner.

"Very smart."

"Who?" asked Mako, stepping in with a grin. He was happy his brother had found a date for tonight.

"Kai." A blush appeared on his cheeks. Bolin disguised it by turning away.

"The girl from the locker room?"

"They met in the park," squealed Ikki.

"I didn't know that." Mako raised an eyebrow at Bolin who shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"He's a fellow lady magnet." Meelo sat up from where he was laying in the bathtub.

"What can I say?" Bolin grinned sarcastically, but Mako could see his brother's eyes soften.

* * *

Kai, Asami, and Iroh sat in the car as they drove to the Gatz estate. They were silent and Kai swore the others could hear the beat of her heart. It thudded in her chest and thundered in her ears. This was it. She manages a glimpse of herself in the window and once again was shocked by her appearance. It was perfect. In her mind, she let herself picture dancing with Bolin, his arms around her. Each time she would drift into her daydream, however, they ended up apart, pulled by some plot of Jaak Gatz's devising.

"Kai," Iroh said her name, "I mean this with the most respect, but I must ask: if you possess the ability to bend minds, why did you not use that power to escape?"

"Oh, I tried," she said, "but mindbending is not like waterbending, or even bloodbending. It is difficult and takes great concentration. I cannot just grab someone's mind and run. I have to control the flow of chemicals in a person's brain. Tiny amounts of water. My special ability," she looked down at her palms, "allows me to sense what I need to bend, move it in synchronization with my own thoughts or whatever is the...desired result." She hated how scientific she sounded, how surgical, as if the act of mindbending was not actually a gruesome affair.

"It's hard," she said to Iroh, "really hard, and when I did manage to escape, I wore myself out on the escape itself. When his men dragged my back, I was drained. Each time I tried, not matter how skilled I was, I always failed. I guess, it has its limits."

"Like bloodbending only during a full moon," offered Asami.

"Exactly," said Kai.

Kai knew she had just told them a lie. When she had been brought before Gatz, she was furious and eager to explode against him. How easy it would have been to stop his heart just like the first mouse. She would have enjoyed it, grasping his consciousnesses like it were an insect and crushing it just as easy.

He pushed her, taunting her to bend his mind, knowing she hated it. She did. She entered his mind. Having had experience with her, he was able to resist longer than anyone else, but soon he too fell. When their boss fell to the ground, guards had grasped her arms so hard they had left bruises. They didn't dare pull her away, afraid she would kill Gatz. She had continued to creep into his mind. Then, the dreams began...

Just like with Pyke, everything Gatz felt Kai felt. They became each other for the brief time that they were melded. She learned of Lan, the girl who had refused to run away with him. She felt the utter sorrow and gut wrenching heartbreak that had twisted Jaikko Zatug into Jaak Gatz. Kai was torn apart by the experiences that corrupted Jaikko: the bootlegging, the crime, the loneliness. At his heart, she found innocence perverted and could not bring herself to destroy something so pitiful., for it would destroy, in turn, all she stood for, beleived in, and fought for.

She had never tried to bend Gatz mind again. And she knew, this is where she had gone wrong. At his core, Gatz may be victim of a cruel twist of fate, but he had done disgusting dreadful things. He had kidnapped her and Pyke. He had forced them to ruin people. In the end, Kai knew she would have to slaughter that small creature of innocence within Gatz in order to save the lives of more to come. It had to be done.

* * *

**WILL KAI BE ABLE TO DEFEAT GATZ? WILL SHE EVER GET THAT DANCE WITH BOLIN? AND WILL KORRA'S UNSETTLING NIGHTMARES BECOME REALITY? **

**STAY TUNED!**

* * *

**Okay so i had some pretty heavy stuff coming on here so I sandwiched some Bolin and airbender kid humor in there. Gotta love Meelo. **

**How did that whole scene go? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEE PLEASSSEEEEEE PLEASSSSSEEEEEE PLEEEEAAAAASSSEEEEE give me some feedback about the whole scene with Bolin. Are you getting enough of his character in the relationship with Kai? Is he too two-dimensional? I need to hear from my lovely readers!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okey Dokey Artichokey!**

* * *

Korra stood beside Mako and Bolin as they waited for the rest of their party. She stood tall and smiled at the people who passed her by. The Avatar had to be the picture of peace. Inside, however, Korra felt none such stillness. The sound of the jazz band in the distance, a particular person's laughter, each brought forth memories from her nightmares. Her eyes darted looking for the girl with the light hair. The image of Bolin, broken and bleeding, entered her mind and she pushed the image away. Her dreams were no longer bridled by sleep.

"There's Asami's car," said Mako. Korra noticed Bolin stop his pacing and stand at attention. She had never seen him so cleaned up before. Not a speck of earth clung to his fingernails.

The driver opened the door, but was replaced Iroh who helped Asami out of the car with a hint of a smile. Another woman climbed from the car. She looked nervous. her ocean eyes open wide. Korra only focussed on her hair. She was the girl from the dream. The Avatar sucked in a breath.

It was happening tonight.

* * *

As Kai stepped out of the car, memories from the years she had lived in the Gatz manor washed over her. She shook them aside as she saw Bolin standing by the Avatar. He was finely dressed and his unruly hair had been combed back. Most importantly, he is smiling, and soon, so is she.

"Wow," he said when she walked up to him, "You look amazing."

"Thanks. It's nice to see you without dirt on your face." She raised a hand to brush his cheek, but a distinct _ah-hem_ broke the moment, and she let it drop back to her side and blushed.

"Oh," Bolin quickly recovered, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Mako, Korra, this is Kai."

She shook hands first with his brother, seeing a similar light in his amber eyes that she had grown accustomed to in the green of Bolin's. Though she had technically met the firebender before, outside the Fire Ferret locker room, it was nice to make proper introductions.

Next, she turned to the Avatar.

"Avatar Korra, it's really an honor to meet you."

The famed savior of the city smiled, "Just call me Korra." Though she was friendly enough, Kai could sense something greatly distressed the Avatar. Kai broke the contact between their hands, fearing the Korra would sense her mindbending abilities. Before any tension could fill the space, Bolin grabbed hold of Kai and led the six of them toward the blaring of a trumpet.

* * *

Pyke watched the satomobile pull into the circular drive way. He was supposed to be playing the part of an affluent bachelor, but his specialty stealth training allowed him to fit too well into the shadows. From his position where he leaned on a collumn of the front porch, he had a clear view as the driver came round to open the door. The General helped out the Sato heiress and Pyke released a breath he hadn't known he had been holding.

Maybe, he thought to himself, she would not come. She was smart enough not to fall into Gatz's ruse.

His heart fell when she emerged from the car.

No! She had had her freedom. Why didn't she run as far as possible while she still had the chance? But he already knew the answer. Pyke had known Kai as long as he had known himself. The two of them shared a unique past and kept no secrets from each other. He knew Kai would not run away. He knew she would come to face Jaak Gatz. He saddedned at the thought of the odds against her.

And, yet, though it was a selfish thought, he thanked the spirits he was able to see her again. In the shadows his heart lifted as he took in the sight of her. The blonde hair he knew so well, the deep eyes he had grown to love. In the moonlight, her eyes sparkled. He watched her graceful gait as she watched to the Avatar, her blue gown ashimmer.

But she didn't walk to the Avatar. She walked to the earthbender. When Gatz had delivered the night's debriefing, he had mentioned the earthbender. As Pyke continued to observe thier interactions, he saw how diplomatic the mention had been. He shut his eyes when she lifted a hand to the other man's cheek.

After all of the years, all that they had shared, he had just assumed...

His wishes did not change the fact that she had escaped. He sighed deeply and allowed himself one last longing glance before disappearing.

He wove through the party guests, searching for Gatz. Pyke found him under the tent where the band played. His master had his back to Pyke.

"She's here," Pyke whispered when he came to stand beside him. Gatz did not face him.

"Good," he said, his voice an odd tamber. "Everything is..." Jaak walked away before finishing striding staunch across the lawns and threw the throng of dancers. Pyke once again joined the shadows and followed his master, unseen, to the table where a woman sat. Pyke recognized a few of her companions as regulars, but he had never seen her before.

"Hello," Gatz greeted his guests, his eyes fixed on the woman with the short hair and large eyes.

"Mr. Gatz," she greeted him, the soberest of her company. She raised her left hand to her chin, in almost an expression of surprise or curiosity, clearly displaying the prominent diamond in the gold of her wedding band.

* * *

"Might I offer your table a round of drinks?" Gatz grinned, sudenly a charmer, "Champagne perhaps?"

"For my friends, certainly," said Lan, "but I will not be drinking tonight, nor any night." A hand fell to her stomach and he noticed the small swell beneath the rosy fabric of her dress. Jaak knew she was warning him, warning that she had solidified herself in a life that did not include him. In contrast, Lan did not glow with the aura of an expectant mother and her eyes seemed far too doleful. He searched for the girlish spark he had known from her youth, but in the years apart, she had become jaded.

He was familiar with the expression. Every morning, it stared back at him from the mirror. No exorbitance could bring joy to such melancholy eyes. Like Jaak, Lan's face was still youthful as it was unplagued by the delightful creases born of smiles.

"My congradulations," he offered, "Your husband must be thrilled."

"My _husband_," she emphasized the cruel word, "has unfortuanately been away on business in Ba Sing Se."

"Surely you could have sent him a wire?"

Through her scowl, Jaak detected a wistfullness, he was breaking through.

"Mr. Gatz, such...intricacies are to be between a wife and her husband." The cruel word was softer this time, beckoning and she hid her left hand beneath the table cloth.

* * *

**OOHH Intrigue...more to come immediately after this.**

**I'm starting to really like Pyke's character now that I've given him a little more detail. He sure has evolved since the first chapter. What do you think? I'm curious as to your thoughts on him and his crush on Kai.**

**LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ack! I know it's been too long, but I had some serious plotting to do for this baby!**

* * *

Kai tried to focus on the conversation and keep her leg from bouncing under the table, but her eyes would always go back to their darting. Looking. Waiting.

"Kai?"

"Hm?" Bolin took her hand in his.

"Want to dance?"

"Dance?"

"Yeah. Come on!" He pulled her to her feet and led her to the dance floor. As the music began, she sunk into an easy sway. Had dancing always been this easy?

As a girl, she used to watch Gatz's parties from her window. Because of her tendency to flee, however, she was forbidden from actually joining the festivities. At first, Pyke would come knocking at her door and the two of them would have their own dances, a celebration for keeping themselves sane for another week in captivity. They had been stiff-armed and, by the time the music stopped, sore-toed; but, they had had company. Those nights gave her so much; a friend, a shoulder on which she could lay her head, her first kiss... Eventually, Jaak began assigning Pyke evening patrols and Kai was left without a dance partner.

Bolin wrapped his arm around her waist and she let her arms encircle his neck. She had forgotten how it felt to be in the arms of someone she could trust.

He lowered his head and their foreheads touched. Her eyes drifted closed.

"I'm so glad Pabu stole those dumplings," she pulled away from him to raise a brow in question. "I was able to meet you in the park." They laughed and she settled back against him. He lifted her chin and kissed her. The suddenness of the kiss shocked her, but she soon relaxed into the silky feel of his lips against hers.

When they broke apart, she looked into his smiling green eyes.

"I've been wanting to do that," he said.

"Me too."

"Would you mind if I cut in?"

Bolin stiffened at the approach of the other man.

"Pyke?"

"You know him?"

"He's an old friend." She squeezed his hand, assuring him.

"Alright," Reluctantly, Bolin returned to the table and Pyke took Kai's hand.

"What's going on?" She demanded again.

"You shouldn't have come back."

"I had to."

"No," said Pyke, scrunching his eyes in frustration, "He knows you're here. He knew you would come with the earthbender." A pang of guilt flared up in Kai's gut. "You should have run. I'm supposed to be looking out for you, but, unless you leave now, I can't keep you hidden forever."

"I'm done running, Pyke. I'm going to end this tonight."

"Tonight will be different." His voice was a whisper in her ear. "If he succeeds, he won't need to keep you any more and he won't let you expose his secret. He'll kill you!"

"She's here," Kai murmured with a shiver. She knew the secret of the woman. After that single time she had entered Jaak's mind, she knew his purpose for her. His plan was to trap the woman named Lan with the large eyes and use Kai to bend her mind to his will. It was sick and it was twisted. Pyke nodded slightly. He must know as well now. "Help me," she asked him. "Imagine," she said, "your freedom! We can face him!" Pyke said nothing and did not look at her. "Gatz can't win."

"And I'll be damned if I see him do." The song ended and Pyke seeped back into the shadows. Kai stood a moment longer alone on the dance floor.

* * *

"Why, Mr. Gatz, it is all so lovely."

Gatz swung a friendly arm around Lan as he swept her through room after lavish room of his glorious house.

"It amazes me," he told her, "that you had not requested a tour earlier. So many others do. I should start charging!" She laughed her tinkling laugh. It was not a laugh of diplomatic pleasantries. Lan was enjoying his game, unknowing it was she who was being played.

_No_, he told himself, _not played. _Lan's smile was proof that she was entranced by Gatz, but bored by her husband. She _deserved_ to be with him

"Excuse me, sir." Gatz's butler stepped up to him. "You have received a wire from Ba Sing Se."

Gatz took the small telegraph strip from him. He had received only two words. DELIVERY MADE. Pocketing the paper strip, he thanked the butler and returned his attention to Lan.

"Business." He told her nothing more. In fact, he suspected that if she knew the meaning behind the cryptic message, she would be distraught if not devastated. But he would not tell her anything. Tomorrow morning, perhaps later tonight, she would get a telegraph from her husband's shipping company in Ba Sing Se that her husband had been in a car accident, a hit and run as he was leaving for the day. Of course, if he could find the girl, she would not wear a widow's veil for long before she exchanged it for that of a bride.

"Wait, Hung," Jaak called to the butler, "would you please bring Mrs. Ju a _refreshment_."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"I think I need the restroom," said Kai as Asami returned from the dance floor with Iroh. Their eyes met and an understanding was reached. Korra knew they weren't going to the bathroom.

"I'll go with you," Korra stood before Asami could agree to their rendezvous. She had dealt with the unease brought forth by the premonitions all night. Whatever was happening, this was the moment.

Korra followed Kai into the house. She used an airbending trick that made her footfalls inaudible. Kai looked back at her, her lips a firm line.

Finally, they reached their destination unseen. Kai let out a breath and closed the door behind them.

"Was this-?" asked Asami.

"My bedroom, yes. With all of the unpleasant memories, I can't believe I used to call this place home." Kai ran to a wardrobe and pulled out tunics and pants for each of them

"I don't understand," Korra spoke up as she brushed her hand along the quilt on Kai's bed. The whole place was oddly familiar, as if she knew which turns they would take. "I've seen this place...in a dream. Tell me what's happening."

"I'm sorry, Korra. I haven't been entirely honest with you." Kai handed her clothes and Korra grimaced. She could only think of Bolin bleeding on the ground and she had seen Kai kiss him earlier. Her hands curled into fists. She would protect him.

Then, the girl told her story.

* * *

**_I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE FEEDBACK ON THE WHOLE KAI X BOLIN THING AND THE NEW BACKSTORIES/DEVELOPMENTS ON JAAK AND PYKE!_! (I know, I always bug you.)**

* * *

**Okay, I've got more coming right up. This was just a good place to break the chapter. The rest get's pretty quick and switches POVs a bit more, so it's best to do it all at once. **

**How was the kiss scene? Too short? I kind of liked it short and sweet like that, but don't worry Kai and Bolin have got a lot more heading their way. Oh, and expect a little funny between Iroh, Mako, and Bolin. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Leave a review! Every review I get makes my day and lets me know what I need to work on. Is there anything you want to see? _Talk to me, people!_**


	13. Chapter 13

**FINALLY THE ACTION-PACKED FINALE IS HERE (WITH MORE TO COME!)**

* * *

"She's here, sir." Pyke stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He stared straight ahead, ignoring the unconscious woman on the settee.

"Very good," said Gatz, pretending to fan the supposedly fainted woman. He held back an expression of disgust. A butler entered the room with a bottle of champagne. Gatz popped the cork and poured a glass for himself and one for Pyke.

"To the future!" he cheered, "and to the past."

_Like the one you stole from us_, Pyke thought to himself. He did not drink the champagne.

* * *

"They've been gone a while."

"Calm down, they're girls. It's what they do. Right?" Mako turned to Iroh. He knew that the banter was for Bolin's sake. The General just stared at him. He could tell he was worried and Iroh knew he had good reason to be. He himself was worried for Asami. She had gone after Kai and Korra and had not stuck to the plan. But he didn't get to be general without the ability to improvise.

"They didn't go to the bathroom." He stood.

* * *

Kai led Korra and Asami, all three no longer dressed in their ball gowns, down the halls of Gatz's mansion. Kai knew it wouldn't be difficult. He needed her to execute his plans. He would be waiting for her. She heard his booming voice and led the others down the hall until they peered around the corner that led to his drawing room and library.

Gatz was sitting in a chair, speaking to Pyke, who stood behind him, with such pleasant tones as if he were waiting for the morning paper rather than a vengeful waterbender. On the settee, the woman with the big eyes slept peacefully. Drugged.

"Remember the plan," Kai turned to Asami and Korra. They nodded and she gathered her resolve. Standing tall, she entered the study.

"GATZ!"

"Kai, lovely to see you again." He stood and grabbed for a bottle of champagne. "We were just having a drink. Join us!"

"Enough," she growled. She knew what she had to do this time. "Let her go!"

"Oh," Gatz abandoned the drinks, "Well, you see, I simply can't do that." Several of his fighters emerged from the opposite hallway. Pyke, too, dropped into his fighting stance.

Kai's heart threatened to burst. She had to remind herself she was not alone.

"Kai," said Gatz with a crooked smile, "Darling, you can't win this fight. It would be best if you just came willingly."

"I'm done being your experiment," she screamed at him. "You took so much of my life, I won't let you take any more...of anyone."

"You forget, _girl_, I'm the Great Jaak Gatz."

* * *

Mako and Bolin followed Iroh through the garden. The General held up a hand and they stopped. They ducked behind a wall of shrubbery. A gaggle of partygores had wandered into their path. While they waited for them to disperse, the benders took off their suit jackets and rolled up their sleeves.

"So much for looking nice," muttered Bolin, stashing the clothes in a large planter. Then he stiffened.

"What?" asked Mako.

"I hear her voice." He tilted his head up and saw an open window on the second story balcony. "Up there." He pointed.

"We have to get up there," said Iroh.

"Allow me," Bolin slammed a fist against the brick wall of the mansion. At well-placed intervals, bricks slid out creating foot and hand holds for them to climb. "After you, General."

Because the wall they climbed was around the corner from the party, Bolin, Mako, and Iroh were able to scale the wall unseen. Molding themselves to the wall on either side of the window so as to be invisible from the inside, the three watched as Gatz's right hand man turn to face Kai, fists raised. Bolin tensed and nearly ran into the fray to fight beside her, but Iroh grabbed a handful of his shirt. The General pointed to a door on the other side of the room. Where Korra and Asami lay in wait. Korra held a finger to her lips. Bolin nodded. The girls were waiting for a signal, and when they stood to fight, so would they.

* * *

"How can you call yourself great?" Kai screamed at Jaak. She was no longer afraid. "How can you after all of the horrible things you have done!"

Gatz seemed unfazed. "Get her," he told Pyke.

Pyke advanced towards Kai, hand still raised ready to fight. She backed away, afraid he had changed his mind. At the last second, he spun to stand beside her.

"No," he said, defiant.

Asami and Korra joined them. Bolin, Iroh and Mako slipped from the balcony. Kai was surprised to find the brothers with Iroh, but was thankful.

"We're even now." Everyone froze, including Gatz's men, at the sight of the United Forced General, at the sight of the team that had brought down Amon, at the sight of the Avatar. Kai took advantage of their hesitation and sauntered toward the table where the bottle of champagne sat on ice. She held the bottle as if she were going to pour a glass, but she threw it to the ground. It shattered and she bent the champagne like water, lashing out at Gatz.

* * *

Bolin slammed a floor tile into one of Gatz's cronies as he looked to Kai. She was wielding the small amount of champagne like a dagger of liquid, shooting it out, slicing flesh. The golden color gradually turned red. He shivered.

But she could bend! All this time he had not known she was a waterbender. She looked nothing like a girl from one of the Water Tribes.

As the battle in the drawing room ensued, he kept an eye on her, ready to come to her aid if needed. He found, however, she was more than capable of handling herself in a fight.

* * *

"Kai!" Kai knocked the firebender she had been fighting out the window and over the railing of the balcony. She heard a splash as he landed in the swimming pool and, satisfied, rushed to Pyke. As she ran to him, she leapt over the overturned settee. She realized why he had called her name. Jaak and Lan were gone.

"Where did they go?" She asked Pyke, as he knocked over an earthbender. He had no bending powers, but even a bender found a fair match in him.

"To the underground laboratory." The place where Kai had been taught to mindbend.

"But the entrance is on the other side of the gardens!"

"No," he said, "there's another way." Dodging blasts of fire and flying brick, they ran to one of the bookshelves. Pyke scanned the titles. As he did so, Kai covered him and looked back at Bolin. _Please, _she begged of the spirits, _keep them safe. Keep him safe_.

"Ready?"

"Let's go," she said. Suddenly, Pyke wrapped an arm around her and the spun on a platform beneath the bookshelf, emerging on the other side of the wall. A spiral staircase led down into the darkness. They ran._  
_

The staircase led to a dark hallway, lit only by green lights placed every couple of feet. The nightmarish memories swarmed around her as their footfalls echoed behind them.

* * *

**OH MY GOODNESS I AM SOOOO SORRY THIS CHAPTER IS SO LATE! I was having a lot of trouble getting it together, but I suspect smooth sailing from here on out. I've even already written some of the later chapters so the rest of this will get out really fast. **

**LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter has me so excited, it's a good one.**

* * *

"Mistress Kai! Master Pyke!" The two stopped dead in their track as they turned to see who had called to them.

Running towards them, in his white lab coat, was the doctor. He had been Gatz's scientist. He had taught Kai about the brain and psychology. He could help them.

"Owl Eyes!" Pyke embraced the small man, calling him by his old nickname. Unlike Kai who had met with the bespectacled doctor, Pyke rarely saw their old friend. Despite the situation, it brough a smile to her lips to see Owl Eyes adjust his glasses as Pyke, grown strong and tall, set him back on the ground.

"So this is it," he said. Kai nodded. The professor sighed, "then I can help you." He pulled from the pocket of his coat a small slip of paper.

"A telegraph?" said Pyke as Kai took the note. Kai crushed it in her hands, fighting tears. Gatz had killed Lan's husband, staged it to look like an accident.

"Here's what you must do..." She listened to what Owl Eyes told her, her fury burning every word into her mind.

* * *

Bolin finished shackling the last of Gatz's men.

"Where is Kai?" Korra spun around.

Bolin immediately stood. Had Gatz taken her? Had their victory in the drawing room been for nothing?

"No, wait!" Asami bolted from under Iroh's arm to the bookshelf. "I saw Gatz come to this spot, then Kai and the other guy." She poited to the puddle of bloody champagne on the floor. "This must be a passage, like the one my father had." She squinted at the bookcase. "One of these-" she began. Bolin stomped the ground, the vibrations pushed all but one of the books off of the shelf.

"That one," he said. Asami pulled it back and the bookcase swung open.

"C'mon! There isn't much time!" Korra stormed down the stairs. Mako and Bolin followed while Iroh and Asami stayed behind to guard the thugs.

* * *

Kai and Pyke entered the laboratory where Gatz was tending to Lan.

"I knew you would follow." He faced them. "I admit you surprised me. Your escape was at the very least commendable and so quickly you established ties to the Avatar. You can imagine my shock when some of the best young benders stood against my men in the drawing room. Still, I knew you would come back to me."

Kai tensed, Pyke warned her not to be baited.

"You were always too soft for the world, too soft for your own bending ability."

"You killed him! You killed her husband!" Kai began to take hold of the flow of water in his nerve cells.

Gatz shook his head. "I freed her from her husband. Now, she can finally love me." Even though Kai was slowly gaining control of his mind, he walked towards her. Pyke stood ready to strike. "Now, you can save her from the pain by filling the dark chasm of grief in her heart with new love. You can give her child a father!"

"I will not bend to your will. I will not take away her past."

She took total control of his mind. Unfortunately, he knew the attack was coming and was able to resist. Also, with their minds together, she lost all of her advantage of surprise. He saw what she was going to do, what Owl Eyes had told her to do.

"No!" He gasped. He pulled water from a small faucet in the laboratory He slammed Kai with wave after wave, trying to break her concentration. She responded, knowing what he would do as soon as he decided. All the while, she gripped his consciousness tighter.

Then, he saw her weakness. She knew what he would do and it tore her heart apart, but she could not take her focus away from Gatz. She could only cry out as a blade of water lashed out not at Kai, but at Pyke. A scream of pain ripped through the lab, then everything went quiet.

As much as it hurt her not to run to Pyke's side, she still clung to his mind and she could feel all hope drain from him. Gatz had lost.

* * *

Korra recognized the hazy green lighting from her dream. The green lights of Gatz' underground had for so long haunted her nightmares. Remembering the bloody image of Bolin, she forced her legs to move faster down the dark hall. At the end of the corridor there was a door. She tried to open it but found it was locked.

From the other side, Kai screamed.

"NO!" shouted Bolin, launching himself at the door, bending the metal and blasting through.

Korra stared in amazement. Bolin had bent metal? The earthbender, however, didn't seem to notice this feat as he charged into the laboratory. He stopped

No one could figure out what was happening. The room was quiet. Kai stood, legs braced locked in a strange form of waterbending stance. Eyes closed, Gatz mirrored her. The Avatar realized the real battle was being fought within them.

The two waterbenders collapsed to the ground and Bolin tried to run to Kai's side.

"Don't," Korra told him.

* * *

Kai tried to reroute Gatz's brain, but he resisted and it became harder for her.

Like the first time she had tried to bend his mind, she was met by the pitiful remnants of Jaikko, destroyed by greed and a cruel, unloving world. She prepared to stomp it out, then hesitated.

If she were to slaughter this tiny shred of a decent human being, she would destroy all she believed in, she would be no better than Gatz himself. She remembered what Owl eyes had told her.

"The brain needs to feel compassion," he had gone off to explain the psychology, but that was all she needed. She changed her approach.

The tiny wretched weed that was Jaak Gatz shriveled and shrank back to the earth, back into its seed. Instead of lonliness and hatred, she then nurtured the seed with love and belonging. The weed grew again, this time a healthy plant. She let Jaikko go.

Opening her eyes, she found that she was on the wet ground of the laboratory.

"Ah!" She tried to stand, but her head throbbed. Bolin's arms were around her. Kai let him pull her to shaky legs, but pushed him away. She was not finished yet.

She crossed the room to Lan and quickly entered her mind as well as the mind of her child, filling it with Jaikko's voice, a kind voice from long ago.

A gurgling groan came from the floor a few yards away. Pyke!

She ran to him and knelt beside him. Korra was already there, trying to heal him.

"I can't," she tells Kai, "He's lost too much blood." Kai nods as the Avatar went to check on Gatz and Lan.

Kai looked into Pyke's bright grey eyes, a startling contrast to the dark puddle forming around him. Gatz's water whip had sliced deep gashes across his body. One of his ears was unrecognizable under the blood, a deep crimson stain spread from his belly, and his femoral artery continued to seep onto the floor. She ripped off a piece of her tunic to use as a bandage, but could not decide where to apply pressure and he was loosing blood too fast. So, she cradled his head in her lap. If there was nothing the Avatar could do to heal her friend, Kai knew she could not save him. At least, with her bending, she could make the going easier.

"Kai," he coughed, reaching a wet hand towards her. She held it in her hands and choked back the tears.

"Pyke. I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to-"

"Did you do it?" he cut her off.

"We did it."

He smiled before coughing up blood. "Good. Good. Kai?"

"Yeah?" She wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Thanks. For coming back. So I could see you." She only nodded. Words were too difficult.

And the bright eyes that had been fixed on her stared into the distance and lost their light.

She ran a finger over his eyelids, closing them forever.

For a moment, the tears would not come. There was anger and sadness and futility and guilt, but the tears would not release her from the pain. A sound beside her pulled her away from the sleeping face of who had, for most of her life, been her only friend. Bolin kneeled beside her. He held his arms open for her and though she was covered in Pyke's blood, Kai collapsed into him.

And the tears came...

Tears of frustration and loss. Tears of morality and finality. She cried for a long time in Bolin's arms beside the body of her friend. He rocked her and whispered little nothings, watching as Mako pulled away from Korra. The firebender took a blanket from one of the tables in the lab. Kai stopped her sobbing to watch in silent thanks as Mako draped the blanket over the broken form of Pyke.

* * *

**Alas, poor Pyke, I really liked him. At least his sacrifice was a worthy one. **

**More to come this is not over yet! Lin and Tenzin in next Chapter. Pema after that! LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	15. Chapter 15

Iroh and Asami arrived in the laboratory, trailed by Tenzin and Lin Bei Fong. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the blanket that had already begun to stain red. Kai's world was a blur as two policemen lifted Pyke on a stretcher and Bolin lifted her to her feet.

"Whaa?" Gatz stood and, immediately, her sense of duty returned.

Cautiously she approached him, hoping Pyke's sacrifice had been worth something. "What is your name."

"Jaikko Zatug." It had worked! "Originally from the Northern Water Tribe. United Forces fifth regiment under Commander Bumi."

Iroh stepped forward. "Private Gatz, I am General Iroh."

"The Prince? But you were just a kid..."

"There's been an accident," said the General.

Kai sighed and once again slipped under Bolin's arm. She watched as Owl Eyes and Korra helped an awakening Lan, only to be pushed aside by Jaikko.

"Lan! How did you-? Are you alright?"

Bolin led her towards the doorway. The door itself lay crumpled several yards away.

"Did you do that?" she asked, shocked. "I thought you couldn't bend metal."

"As did I," Chief Bei Fong approached them.

"I was afriad," confessed Bolin. "I don't think I could ever do it again. I don't think I'd want to either."

"What about you?" Bolin asked Kai. " How did you defeat Gatz."

"I'm a waterbender. The only one of my kind. I can control the flow of chemistry in the brain." Bei Fong gasped. Kai was glad her actions had proven her loyalty to Republic City and she was not considered a threat. She relaxed and left the laboratory behind for good it was over.

* * *

"This was it," Korra told Tenzin as they surveyed the carnage in the laboratory. "This is what the dream was telling me. The green lights in the hallway."

"But Bolin?" asked Mako. "He's alright!"

"Thank the spirits I was wrong." She had seen Bolin in her dreams and assumed the image of the body was his, but it wasn't. She fell silent as the stretcher passed them.

* * *

The city, was at peace. The battle wounds had healed. Iroh had taken up the job of reestablishing Jaikko into society. Through his visits, Kai had learned that the bootlegging and crime had been washed away from Jaikko's name, that he was to marry Lan in the summer and raise her child as his own. The death of Lan's husband had never been changed from an accident to a homicide.

Kai stood from the memorial tree that had been planted when Avatar Aang had passed eighteen years ago. Incense burned, but she had no picture of Pyke. He had never had his picture taken. She wished she had one now. At least, now, her friend could find peace with the spirits. She took Bolin's hand and they walked back down the hill to the Air Temple, her new home.

Despite all the blood that had been spilled, Kai knew the battle was not over. There was still one sacrifice to be made.

* * *

**This chapter was a little blah, but there's some big stuff later. LEAVE A REVIEW! PRETTY PRETTY PRETTY please?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Very Bolin/Kai heavy here...even worse/better next chap. Do you guys like Bolin and Kai together? I'm really interested in what you have to say.**

* * *

Kai bounced baby Rohan on her knee on the steps of the Air Temple and laughed as she watched Meelo clamber all over Bolin. At the sound of her laughter, he smiled at her.

Kai couldn't help but imagine what was to come. She had her life ahead of her, and it was truly HER life. She pictured Bolin, a tiny earthbender atop his shoulders. An earthbender, she had to remind herself, not a waterbender.

Standing, she handed Rohan to Korra. She needed to talk to Pema.

The matriarch of all future airbenders was in her garden.

"Pema," Kai called to her, kneeling to help pull weeds from around the vegetables.

"Oh, Kai. How are you?"

"Wonderful. Thank you for making me feel so welcome here."

"Oh," Pema wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, leaving a smudge of dirt in its place. "It's been nice having you. Besides," she grinned, "I think someone else really enjoys having you here."

Kai blushed, knowing Pema meant Bolin. She remembered why she had sought her.

"Pema, what is it like being married to Tenzin?" Pema set down her spade and looked curiously at Kai.

"You mean as a non-bender, don't you."

"Yes,"

* * *

Later that evening, Kai stood quietly, closing her eyes as the first summer breeze kissed her cheeks. Finally, she was free. She was home.

"Kai?" Korra's voice called gently."

"Hi," she waved weakly as the Avatar came to stand before her.

"It must feel great," she said, "to leave everything behind."

"I can begin again. A new life." Kai turned back to the water. Beginning anew wasn't as easy as Korra assumed. Even after all they had been through, there was still one sacrifice to be made.

"Korra," Kai asked.

"Yeah?"

"Will you do something for me?"

"What?"

Kai bit her lip. "Will you take away my bending?"

Korra's smile melted. "You can't possible mean..." But she did. Kai had been thinking about it since they returned to Air Temple Island. Mindbending shouldn't happen. She wouldn't let her gift become a curse, even if that meant giving it up.

"I'm the only one who can bend minds," she told Korra, "My bending is a small price to pay for its eradication. Imagine if you could stop bloodbending." Her voice met Korra head on. "It stops with me."

"It's no small price. You could still use your bending, but for balance."

"No," Kai bit back, surprisingly sharp. "It wouldn't be balance." Korra could not understand the perversity of holding someone's freewill in her hands. Kai had been held captive for years, she would not hold anyone for more than a second. "You don't know what it's like to break into someone like that."

"But you don't know how it feels to have your bending taken away." Korra's eyes softened with reminiscent pain. The Avatar had been stripped of her own bending by Amon.

"My bending isn't being taken," she embraced Korra, "I'm giving it up. I have to."

"Okay," whispered Korra.

* * *

After dinner, Tenzin stood. Kai began to help with clearing the table.

"Leave it," said Tenzin. Kai set the salad bowl back down. Pema ushered the children into the kitchen. "Kai, Korra, will you see me in my office."

With her head low, Kai followed Tenzin and Korra. She tried not to look at Bolin as she passed him.

* * *

"I understand your decision," said Tenzin, "and find it very noble of you; but, are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes," said Kai. "I have given it a lot of thought. I am sure. "

"Despite the risks?"

"Despite the risks."

"Alright. Tomorrow, Korra will...remove your bending."

"Thank you, Tenzin." She bowed in respect.

"Let Bolin in," he said, "before he breaks down my door."

Sure enough, when Kai opened the door, Bolin stood with his ear to the door. Mako was behind him.

"What's going on?" demanded Bolin. Kai knew she couldn't keep this from him.

"I've asked Korra to take away my bending." She stepped up to him. Though she was a skilled and deadly waterbedner, she appreciated Bolin's protective reflex of wrapping an arm around her.

"What?" He pulled her away to look at her.

"When you met me you didn't know I was a bender!"

"This isn't about me. This is about you! Was this your choice?"

She fiddled with one of the buttons on his shirt. "It was. But...Bolin...that's not all." Her voice was suddenly very weak

"What are you saying?" his eyes glistened with concern. Kai couldn't bring herself to tell him what could possible happen when her bending left her.

Thankfully, Tenzin spoke, "With Kai's special abilities being so deeply rooted in her psyche, there is reason to believe that to take her bending away would not be as simple as taking away the powers of any other bender. There could be side effects."

"Side effects?" asked Mako, worried for Kai and his brother.

"It is possible that Kai remains unchanged, but there could be major psychological changes; personality transformation, memory loss-"

"You mean," Bolin turned to Kai, stopping Tenzin's prognosis, "you might not be you." Kai nodded. "No," he protested, "No."

"I have-" her words died on her tongue. Bolin stormed out of the office. No one met the gaze of anyone else.

"I'll go talk to him," offered Mako, "talk some sense into him."

"No," Korra stoped him. "I will."

Outside, the wind was picking up and Kai could smell rain in the air. She scanned the grounds, looking for Bolin.

The earthbender was standing on one of the cliffs over looking the bay. She ran to him, stopping several yards away. She watched as Bolin shot rocks into the air and then launched them out into the water. At first, they sailed before falling into the waves. Then, he just crushed them, creating a small cloud of dust. Finally, purged of the frustration, he sat and picked up a pebble. He lifted his arm to throw it, but stopped midair. Kai sat next to him, letting her feet dangle over the side beside his.

"Bolin. I'm sorry." She draped an arm around him, resting her head on his shoulder. He handed her the pebble, she cradled it in her fist.

"I can't lose you."

"You won't."

"You can't promise that." He was right. "What happens if I look at you tomorrow and you don't know who I am? How can you expect me to just keep going? Do I start over? Do I pretend?"

"Nothing changes." A raindrop fell onto her cheek. Then another. "We still have tonight and nothing can change that." The rain fell lightly on them.

* * *

**Oh, the Kailin FEELS! Next chapter will be decked out with their romance. Did you know that if you leave a review I will read it and it will make my entire week?! Leave a review for my sake!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, so this is a little Bolin/Kai love scene, it does get saucy, but _nothing for me to rate this more than a T_, but if you don't feel comfortable, when the clothes start coming off, skip ahead to the dialogue. As always, leave a review.**

* * *

"Come inside. there's something I want to show you." She pulled him to his feet and led him back to the room given to her in the Air Temple. Once inside, she sat him down on her bed and went into the bathroom to fetch a wet rag. When she returned, Bolin had his shoulders slumped and he stared at his hands in his lap. Sitting beside him, she began to wipe away the pebble dust and dirt that had settled on his face. First one half then the other. As she went, she took his face in her hands and ran her fingertips over his lips. She remembered how it felt to have those lips pressed against her own. Wanting the feeling again, if only to be sure she had once really felt it, she kissed him lightly.

The soft rain continued to patter in the silence between them.

"I have to show you," she said at last, "what I am capable of." He kissed her palm as she brought her thumb to the place where his brows furrowed. "Try to relax." Beneath her grasp, he sighed.

Kai closed her eyes and entered his mind, but she did not bend it. As she immersed herself in his chemistry, she saw his memories and felt his emotions; the pain of losing his parents, the fear of being captured by Amon, the love for his brother. She saw the day they met in the park, their breakfast together, the moment he saw her in the light of the fountain outside the arena, her stepping out of the car in her blue gown. She saw his dreams, his unconscious wishes; the want to kiss her again. All through his eyes.

In return, as he had shown her all of himself, she gave him all there was of her. She gave him the memory flashes, the new and the old. She gave him the feeling of lightheartedness she experienced around him. She made sure he felt the light breathable air that was his presence after her dark past in captivity.

For a long moment, they simply sat, intertwined. Kai wanted to never forget the sensation of being one with Bolin. No matter tomorrow's outcome, as a bender or non, she wanted to remember that he loved her, that she loved him.

When they broke apart, he stared at her in wonder and profound understanding.

"Now you see," she said, "how powerful this gift is. And as long as it is a power, it is a curse. As long as it exists in the world, someone will try to take advantage of it. I can't let that happen."

This time, he didn't protest. He kissed her instead.

She dove into the kiss with fervor and climbed onto his lap so she was straddling him and he held her to him. She lost her hands in his dark hair and she felt Bolin's try to undo her elaborate braids.

"Let me," she said and with a few turns of her wrist was able to let her blonde hair fall past her shoulders. It felt wonderful to finally let it free, for it to finally be a symbol of her beauty rather than her damnation. Bolin ran a few locks through his fingers, feeling its softness.

"So beautiful," because his eyes were dead set on hers, Kai knew he meant more than the hair. Kai leaned forward and kissed him again. He responded by wrapping his arms around her small waist. It was more than a loving embrace, however, and soon, Bolin was standing, carrying Kai with him.

"Bolin, what are you-" He silenced her with a kiss and she clamped her legs around him so as to keep from falling, though she knew he would never drop her. He loved to flaunt his strength.

They laughed as he carried her to the foot of the bed. Beaming, he lay her down so her head rested on the pillow. Gently, he crawled to hover above her. Kai felt her breath hitch. His body ever so lightly lay atop hers, his face so close to hers.

"Hi," she welcomed him. Her voice shook with anticipation, but she couldn't hold back the smile.

"Hi," he said back, his voice also wavering. She kissed his cheek and felt his lips turn into a wide grin, but when she looked into his green eyes, she could still see the distress.

"Nothing changes," she said as she had before. It was a promise she knew she could not keep, but she still wanted this last night with Bolin. She trailed a line of light kisses down his strong jawline. He had not shaved since the night of Gatz's party and the slight stubble prickled her lips. This reminder of his masculinity fueled the fire within her.

He pressed his lips to the tiny dell at the base of her throat, momentarily stopping her from breathing while she worked on undoing the buttons and fastenings of his shirt. When they were all free, he sat up and pulled her with him so she could slip the fabric off his broad shoulders. Beneath the thin cover of his undershirt, Kai's fingers ghosted over his chest that rose and fell with each breath he took. She felt the taut muscles of his back and shoulders, followed the curve of his back before coming around to the front again to trace the muscles of his abdomen, his navel, and the soft trace of hair that led even lower. She marveled at his build as he slipped off the shirt and could almost hear him chuckle with pride. And then it was her turn.

Almost without touching her, with the same trepidation of handling expensive china, Bolin lifted her top over her head. After a few more deft movements all of their clothes had been flung to the floor. Kai pulled him back to the bed with a searing kiss. While hers clung to his back, Bolin's calloused hands caressed the smooth curves of soft skin. His mouth followed where his hands went. She felt his tongue hot on her breasts, her flat stomach, her inner thighs.

"Bolin," she gasped his name as they joined.

To the rhythm of the showering rain, they moved together, lost and found again in passion. Deep within her, Kai felt the wonderful tension build as their tempo increased. Losing control of her senses, the boundaries of her own soul were blended with that of Bolin atop her. Their pleasure was one that was shared and, thus, doubled. With her bending strengthening their union, they were one in every way possible. Together, they cried out in release, the sound muffled by the other's mouth.

Panting, Bolin collapsed on top of her, letting his head fall onto her shoulder. Kai wrapped her arms around his shoulders, reveling the the euphoria that left her enraptured. He rolled off of her, taking her with her so that he was beneath her. She pushed the sweat-dampened hair out of his face and smiled, kissing his nose.

* * *

Later, Kai and Bolin rested, but they could not sleep. There was such little precious time left before morning. So, they simply talked.

"What were your parents like?" she asked, tracing tiny figure eights on his chest in time with his strong heartbeat.

She felt him sigh, "Happy, I guess." She rose, resting her head on her arms as she crossed them on his chest to listen to his story. "I don't remember them ever fighting, but maybe that's because I just don't remember. I was really little. Mako remembers though. It's hardest for him."

"He loves you, you know, your brother. I never had a family. Well, I suppose I did, once..." his grip on her shoulder tightened and he held her firmly. She nestled herself under his chin. For a long time, they held each other. They each needed the comfort, but he understood, after sharing their hearts and minds, the pain of not having a past was worse than a painful one.

They made love again, slowly. Bolin cherished every second, every touch, remembering the fear that had chilled him through when he had heard her scream beneath Gatz's mansion. The thought of losing her had given him the power to bend metal. The thought of looking into her blue-green eyes and not seeing the same woman behind them scared him.

After, they were too tired to fight the waning darkness.

"Someday," he whispered and kissed the top of her head. He couldn't give her back her past, but he hoped he could give her a future. Kai had already drifted off to sleep and he let himself do the same.

* * *

**So, I hope you enjoyed it, there's some more to come. Unfortunately, all the action is done with, but the story's not over yet. LEAVE A REVIEW GIVE ME YOUR CRITICISMS LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Told you that I wasn't abandoning this. Actually, I've been writing in my mind while sit at work to keep myself from thinking about how much I hate my job. Haha. Anyway, here it is!**

* * *

The morning was cold, but when Kai opened her eyes, she was perfectly warm. Nestled in Bolin's strong arms, her head beneath his chin, she was perfectly comfortable in the warm embrace they held under the blankets.

But the sun kept rising and no matter how hard she tried, Kai could not drift back to sleep. The day was here. Nothing was going to stop time. And she worried. Exasperated and afraid, she pulled herself out of the strong earthbender's arms. After a long sigh, she smiled down at Bolin as he slept on. Climbing from beneath the blankets, she kissed him on the forehead, brushing thick locks away from his eyes. He grinned in his slip, but did not otherwise stir.

To think, that in a matter of hours she could no longer feel any connection to this man who had become the rock in her life. Simply the thought of starting over sent chills across her skin. Grabbing Bolin's discarded shirt from the ground, she wrapped herself in the fabric and stood by the window.

The spring morning was cool and her sigh fogged the glass. Reaching out, she wrote her name in the condensation. Who was she? Still, despite defeating Gatz, she knew nothing of her past. Now, all of it was gone with his memories and she could again lose herself. Panic gripped her heart and her stomach churned. She rubbed at the goosebumps on her arms and fought the urge to cry.

"Hey," a soft voice called. She turned. Bolin was awake, holding the bed sheet around his shoulders like a child.

"Are you cold?" he asked. He didn't wait for her response before he stepped closer and wrapped her in the cloth as well. She stood there, soothed by his presence. With her bending, she melded their beings into one, an action that seemed so natural after their night together.

"I don't ever want to forget this," she sniffed, snuggling herself to his chest.

"Don't worry," he laughed halfheartedly. "You and me. We're pretty unforgettable."

Kai feigned a scowl, but laughed anyway, appreciating his humor. After a kiss, he pulled her back to him.

"Nothing changes," he said, repeating her words from the previous night. It was a promise. A promise that, no matter the outcome of the coming day, what bound them together would stay. Even without her bending.

This plagued Kai. She knew Bolin would hold onto her whether or not she was changed by the loss of her bending. She worried that he would be trapped with her by his own loyalty and love. A love that might not be returned. Of all things, this scared her the most. That she would cost him more pain than she would ever be able to comprehend. She was too afraid to voice any of it. From their union, however, she knew he understood.

* * *

"Kai," said Tenzin softly, "it's time."

She nodded and stepped from under Bolin's arm. She took a deep breath and stood straight, trying to seem composed because inside she was shaking. Every step she took towards Korra, every step she took away from her new life and toward the uncertain future that awaited her, she felt her resolve crumble. She hated this. Kai had never been one to bemoan her fate, but she hated this timeless drifting. She had no past, no future. She had only the people she was now walking away from. Tenzin and Pema who had given her a home at the temple. Iroh and Asami who had joined her in her quest to right Gatz's wrongs. Korra and Mako who had joined the fight. Pyke who had died in the final battle. And Bolin...

She stopped.

She couldn't take another step.

She couldn't.

Not now.

Turning, she ran back to Bolin. He caught her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. He squeezed her tight, lifting her off the ground.

For a moment he held her like that, suspended between times.

"I-" she sobbed, "I can't, Bolin. I can't."

"Shh," he kissed her gently, setting her back down. She looked up at his green eyes, at his sad smile. "Nothing changes," he whispered in her ear.

Strengthened, her knees solidified enough to support her own weight and she stood, still holding his hands.

"Nothing changes," she echoed.

She turned back to Korra, her hands slipping out of Bolin's

* * *

Bolin felt his brother lay a comforting hand on his shoulder as he watched Kai take her slow steps towards where Korra waited. his breath hitched when the two waterbenders faced each other. His pulse drummed in his ears and Kai dropped to one knee, head bowed.

When Kai lifted her head, eyes closed and vulnerable, Korra entered the Avatar state.

The wind instantly came to life, bringing to being a maelstrom of cherry blossoms. Dust stung his eyes, but Bolin could not bring himself to close them.

When the world around them settled and Korra came back from her state, Kai's eyes were still closed.

"Kai?!" Bolin ran reaching her just as she collapsed.

* * *

**Will she remember Bolin? Is she dead? I Know, but will not tell you MWAHAHAHA, You'll just have to wait for the next chap. Oh, and leave a review please. Was it good? Bad? Could I have done something differently? What do YOU want to see happen? I read every review! As in, I refresh the page until I get one. Lol. I have no life. **


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